The Living Dead by Suede... is this their best B-side?

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There's not enough Suede threads on ILM. There should be more.

On the subject of "The Living Dead", I think it was Mark Beaumont who described this as "as beautiful as music gets". And I agree.

It's just perfect.

― Calz (Calz), Sunday, 17 August 2003 19:00 (twenty-two years ago)

i dont know, maybe Every Monday Morning Comes?

― gareth (gareth), Sunday, 17 August 2003 19:08 (twenty-two years ago)

'Every Monday Morning Comes' definatley.

― scottjames23 (worrysome-man), Sunday, 17 August 2003 19:13 (twenty-two years ago)

While a beautiful, serenely wonderful song, going up against "My Dark Star" on the very same single makes it an astoundingly tough call. But they're both utterly fantastic and for all the complaints about the sheer wonderful over-the-top insanity of "Stay Together" that said song had both of these as B-sides shows that when Bernard was last truly in the band he went out on a high.

"Every Monday Morning Comes" is pretty damned spectacular. And I always loved both versions of "Europe Is Our Playground," and then there's "This Time" and then...

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Sunday, 17 August 2003 19:16 (twenty-two years ago)

I agree, essentially, with Raggett's first paragraph.

I think that 'My Dark Star' would move me more now.

― the pinefox, Sunday, 17 August 2003 19:57 (twenty-two years ago)

To the Birds is a firm fave too. Ah fuck it, all the Butler stuff is priceless. They're mad for not taking him back (c.f. John Harris's book "The Last Party"). Maybe they're just happy with writing such outstanding tracks as "Lonely Girls" these days?

― Calz (Calz), Sunday, 17 August 2003 21:51 (twenty-two years ago)

"another no-one". gorgeous piano ballad.

― weasel diesel (K1l14n), Sunday, 17 August 2003 21:51 (twenty-two years ago)

"Whipsnade" muthafuckas

― Lynskey (Lynskey), Sunday, 17 August 2003 22:06 (twenty-two years ago)

That was a song where it was a case of a brilliant title not having the music quite measure up. Although partially I could be saying this because "Killing of a Flash Boy" is so damn great.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Sunday, 17 August 2003 22:10 (twenty-two years ago)

It's either 'The Living Dead' or 'Killing of a Flashboy'. I don't understand the love for 'Every Monday Morning Comes' which sounds like nothing but bluster to me.

― Eyeball Kicks (Eyeball Kicks), Sunday, 17 August 2003 22:29 (twenty-two years ago)

"Killing Of A Flashboy" is about the only one I'd care to hear now I think.

― Tom (Groke), Sunday, 17 August 2003 22:58 (twenty-two years ago)

i'd say all of the tracks on the "stay together" single are all equally cracking. i don't rate "killing of a flash boy"..

― electric sound of jim (electricsound), Sunday, 17 August 2003 23:01 (twenty-two years ago)

"Killing of a Flashboy" is the best Suede song besides "Stay Together", fuck this B-side nonsense. "The Living Dead" almost unfailingly chokes me up. I love that song. When the middle part starts, "If I was the wife of an acrobat / Would I look like the living dead, boy? ..." I just about die inside.

― Ally (mlescaut), Monday, 18 August 2003 00:10 (twenty-two years ago)

'Stay Together' isn't that good. The chorus is a bit tuneless. The rapping is inaudible. The video is bad. The best bits are the verses and the last minute of mooing. But I remember an interview at that time where the journalist was moaning about how he was searched for hidden tape recorders, and had to sign forms etc, just to get to hear it. That's one of my favourite bits too. Much better than something like 'Filmstar', whose pretension is competency. It sounds like a declaration of intent to be in the top five best songs on Wednesday's Evening Session with Steve Lamacq,

― Eyeball Kicks (Eyeball Kicks), Monday, 18 August 2003 00:20 (twenty-two years ago)

is "my insatiable one" genuinely great or just memorable because it kicks off "sci-fi lullabies?"

― notfazed (notfazed), Monday, 18 August 2003 01:27 (twenty-two years ago)

Genuinely great, I think. I'm not really one for most of Suede's lyrics, but it actually has really good lyrics.

― Ally (mlescaut), Monday, 18 August 2003 02:03 (twenty-two years ago)

this is a good tune, but not as good as My Insatiable One or To The Birds. Thinking about it, The Drowners really was a fantastic debut LP - def a good example of a band emerging pretty much fully formed.

Other good suede b-sides - He's Dead, Painted People, High Rising

Don't really have any of the later singles, although I do agree that both of the Stay Together b-sides are decent too - after The Drowners, that is probably my next fave Suede EP

― Robin Goad (rgoad), Monday, 18 August 2003 07:29 (twenty-two years ago)

MIO is great, really disturbing. And nuthin' scares me, man.

― Rickey Wright (Rrrickey), Monday, 18 August 2003 07:29 (twenty-two years ago)

BENTSWOOD BOYS

― the pinefox, Monday, 18 August 2003 08:27 (twenty-two years ago)

Other good ones are "This World Needs a Father", where the guitars sound like Whitney Houston, and "Asda Town". The worst Butler b-side is "Modern Boys", although the sound is nice 'n' twanging.

― Eyeball Kicks (Eyeball Kicks), Monday, 18 August 2003 11:35 (twenty-two years ago)

All of the songs listed here are excellent, I just cannot decide on one.

― Larcole (Nicole), Monday, 18 August 2003 11:37 (twenty-two years ago)

yes.

― toby (tsg20), Monday, 18 August 2003 13:50 (twenty-two years ago)

They shouldn't have left Painted People off Sci Fi Lullabies.

The Living Dead chokes me up at the exact same point it chokes Ally up, and now I'm pissed off because of that.

― Calz (Calz), Monday, 18 August 2003 17:04 (twenty-two years ago)

Of the whole sci-fi lullabies compilation, "Killing of a flashboy" is the only one I still listen to.

I'm never quite sure whether I love it so much on its own merits, or whether it's because I'm in love with the image of Butler and Anderson hating each other so much they refused to be in the same studio as one another during its recording.

― cis (cis), Monday, 18 August 2003 17:37 (twenty-two years ago)

Also supposedly it is about wanting to kill Damon Albarn???!

― Ally (mlescaut), Monday, 18 August 2003 17:54 (twenty-two years ago)

Hahaha! I had never heard that! That's a beautiful idea.

Oh if you shake your fake tan thru aerosol land you'll know
That you'll suffer your sex by the caravenettes oh no
And that shitter with the pout won't be putting it about no more
Or shaking obscene like a killing machine here we go

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Monday, 18 August 2003 18:04 (twenty-two years ago)

I didn't know that! I'm all for any songs that involve killing Damon Albarn, "Killing of a Flashboy" automatically wins my vote.

― Larcole (Nicole), Monday, 18 August 2003 18:14 (twenty-two years ago)

Damon stole Brett's girlfriend so it was supposedly written about how crap Brett thought Damon was...I can't believe you guys never heard that?? Where did I hear this then? Maybe I made it up.

― Ally (mlescaut), Monday, 18 August 2003 18:29 (twenty-two years ago)

Well, I remember that "Animal Nitrate" was supposed to be about Justine...wasn't it?

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Monday, 18 August 2003 18:31 (twenty-two years ago)

That was what I heard.

― cis (cis), Monday, 18 August 2003 18:35 (twenty-two years ago)

Yeah, I knew "Animal Nitrate" was about Justine. There were always a few lines in different songs that I perceived to be snide digs at Damon/Justine but I just never heard anything about "Killing of a Flashboy" being about Damon. Makes sense, though.

― Larcole (Nicole), Monday, 18 August 2003 18:42 (twenty-two years ago)

If anything could beat My Insatiable One it would have to be something off the Stay Together E.P. - but not for any of those afformentioned (My Dark Star is musically pedestrian, and incongruous with it's lyrical content -- at least The Living Dead offers some cohesion). For my money, High Rising cuts through the highfalutin as cleanly as Butler's mellotron resonates against Anderson's eventual howls. Atmosphere to the nth. Dig.

― christoff (christoff), Monday, 18 August 2003 19:37 (twenty-two years ago)

No, I'm pretty sure I read an interview in like Select that "Killing of a Flashboy" was about Damon Albarn, Bernie said it like in one of his "Ooooh Brett is such a big baby I hate him wah wah wah" moments. Bunch of fucking tattletale tossers, if I was in Suede I'd kick both their asses.

― Ally (mlescaut), Monday, 18 August 2003 20:23 (twenty-two years ago)

Plasmatics "Living Dead" is better

― dave q, Tuesday, 19 August 2003 07:43 (twenty-two years ago)

six years pass...

I found my old tape of a magnificent version of 'Europe Is Our Playground' from the Mark Radcliffe show circa 1995. The quality's not too bad, but I only just worked out how to make mp3s from tape so apologies if it could've been done better. The varispeed at the start is incurable, I suspect.

― Ismael Klata, Wednesday, 2 September 2009 14:34 (sixteen years ago)

three years pass...

Just played the piano version four times over. It's the most gorgeous thing.

― Mule, Friday, 16 August 2013 20:34 (twelve years ago)

That's funny - I uploaded that old cassette onto two separate threads nearly four years ago, and there they are getting revived within 24 hours of each other.

No-one ever mentions The Big Time, but it's a real beauty too.

― Ismael Klata, Friday, 16 August 2013 20:50 (twelve years ago)

So many great b-sides, as the recent poll is testament to. However, the defeated beauty of this one is almost too much to bear at times.

― Mule, Friday, 16 August 2013 20:56 (twelve years ago)

I absolutely love this track, but 'Killing Of A Flash Boy' and 'High Rising' seem to be the two Butler-era B-sides I keep returning to!

― I wanna live like C'MOWN! people (Turrican), Saturday, 17 August 2013 14:51 (twelve years ago)

When I saw The Tears in 2005 they ended with this, it was a lovely moment.

― Kitchen Person, Saturday, 17 August 2013 15:40 (twelve years ago)

I actually still like that Tears record. 'The Ghost Of You' wouldn't have sounded out of place as an early Suede B-side, thinking about it. I do prefer Bloodsports, though. I still can't quite get over how good that album is. I just hope that if Suede do follow it up, that they don't fuck it up like they're prone to doing every time things are going good!

― I wanna live like C'MOWN! people (Turrican), Saturday, 17 August 2013 15:45 (twelve years ago)

I like that Tears album too, it could have done with losing maybe two or three songs but yeah it's pretty solid. Autograph is still my favourite song, such a simple but affecting chorus. A Love As Strong As Death is a beautiful closer too. Agree that Bloodsports is a lot stronger, one of my favourite albums of the year.

― Kitchen Person, Saturday, 17 August 2013 15:50 (twelve years ago)

'Autograph' has my favourite guitar riff on the whole album!

― I wanna live like C'MOWN! people (Turrican), Saturday, 17 August 2013 16:02 (twelve years ago)

seven years pass...

I become obsessed with this song every couple of years. Best b-side.

My Stay Together CD calls them "London Suede" because I bought it in the US where there's some other Suede.

I found this thread while looking for a thread for Head Music (there isn't one) in order to share this

SUEDE - HEAD MUSIC: LIVE IN TOKYO

Tonight at 5PM BST: https://t.co/KWmvvBI4yL pic.twitter.com/SRkfvfzgLL
— Suede HQ (@suedeHQ) October 9, 2020

― here we go, ten in a rona (onimo), Friday, 9 October 2020 14:32 (five years ago)

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